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More than half of Czechs say they have reduced their spending over the past year, most often by limiting visits to restaurants and cutting back on alcohol, according to a survey by the STEM/MARK agency cited by the Czech Press Agency. The poll found that 30 percent of respondents said their financial situation had worsened, while about half reported no change. People also said they were saving money by reducing spending on entertainment, clothing, food and holidays. Women were more likely than men to report cutting expenses. Analysts say the results reflect cautious consumer behaviour, even though average wages in Czechia have continued to rise in the past year.

The leadership of the Environment Ministry must rely on credible data and operate as efficiently as possible, Environment Minister Igor Červený (Motoristé) said in an interview with the Czech Press Agency. He highlighted cooperation with the government’s envoy for climate policy and the Green Deal, Filip Turek (Motoristé), who is helping coordinate work on measures such as acceleration zones and cooperation between ministries. Červený stressed that only the minister has legal signing authority but described teamwork within the ministry as key. Among his priorities are reforming the New Green Savings programme and preparing acceleration zones. President Petr Pavel earlier refused to appoint Turek as minister, citing concerns about his respect for the rule of law, the Czech Press Agency reported.

President Petr Pavel continues his visit to Latvia on Tuesday, where he is scheduled to meet Czech soldiers stationed at the military base in Ādaži. The troops, mainly from the 153rd Engineer Battalion based in Olomouc, are deployed as part of NATO’s forward presence strengthening the alliance’s eastern flank in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Around 50 Czech soldiers have been serving in the mission since January, replacing specialists from the 53rd Regiment of Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare. Their task is to contribute to a multinational brigade helping to ensure the security of NATO’s eastern member states. Later in the day, Pavel and his wife Eva will also visit Bauska Castle and Rundāle Palace before travelling on to Lithuania.

A gas pipeline caught fire around 2 p.m. on Tuesday in Dobrovského Street in Prague’s Holešovice district, with flames spreading to the facade of two residential buildings. Firefighters declared a high-level alert and evacuated people from nearby buildings.

The accident was caused when construction workers damaged a gas pipeline during excavation work, according to the gas distribution company Pražská plynárenská Distribuce.

Firefighters could not extinguish the blaze until the gas supply was shut off because of the risk of an explosion. Gas technicians eventually stopped the leak, and the fire was contained at around 5 p.m.

Traffic in the area was restricted and tram services in the neighbourhood were diverted. Paramedics were also at the scene but reported no injuries.